1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to a system and method for providing detailed edit lists. In particular, the present invention relates to a system and method for using a digital video recorder to record program segments that match a user's preferences or interests.
2. Description of the Related Art
Video content providers, such as cable television operators and satellite operators, today provide a vast array of content to homes, businesses, and other establishments. These providers often provide hundreds of different channels to a consumer, such as a user watching his home television. While consumers today have a wide assortment of channels, because of the sheer number of selections it is often difficult for users to find a favorite program that is currently playing.
To address these challenges, tape-less digital video recorders (DVRs) have been developed to automatically store the user's favorite programs on a nonvolatile storage device, such as a hard disk drive or optical drive. DVRs are similar to a VCR, however DVRs record onto digital (i.e., random access) media. In addition, DVRs are more “content aware” in that they maintain a programming guide that is used to identify programs to record.
DVRs connect to the outlet, such as the cable television outlet, to receive content from the content provider. In addition, DVRs receive programming information from a DVR service provider. The programming information includes a basic television guide that indicates the channel and times of scheduled programs. The program guide is typically downloaded over a separate connection, such as a telephone modem phone connection, which connects the user's DVR to the DVR service provider. The program guide is updated, for example on a nightly basis, by connecting the DVR to the DVR service provider over the connection. In order to know which programming guide, called an edit schedule, to provide a given user, the DVR service typically requires the user to provide the name and location of the content provider. The DVR service can then retrieve the edit schedule corresponding to a particular content provider (i.e., “ACME CABLE SERVICE in Austin, Tex.”) and provide the correct edit schedule to the user.
The user selects which programs he wishes the DVR to record similarly to a VCR. However, with a DVR, the unit can be programmed to record programs based on the user's preferences that have been provided by the user. For example, if the user has indicated a preference for a particular program the DVR can scan the downloaded schedule of programs and automatically record the program without the user needing to indicate the exact dates and times of the program. To view programs that the DVR has recorded, the user presses a “guide” key on the DVR remote. The DVR then lists the programs that have been recorded and stored on the DVR's nonvolatile storage device. The user can then select a program from the list for viewing.
A challenge facing DVR users and DVR service providers is that edit schedules provide details regarding an entire program without dividing the program into its composite segments, or parts. For example, a user may be interested in a particular actor or type of scene and not be interested in an entire program. With traditional edit schedules and technology, it is difficult to identify programs that meet the user's interests. Moreover, even if a program is identified, it is not possible to record the portions of the program in which the user is interested without recording the entire program. The user is then faced with the task of scanning through the recorded content to determine which portion(s) of the program match the user's interests. What is needed, therefore, is a system and method for using a detailed edit schedule that describes program segments and allows the user to record program segments in which the user is interested.